Novelty amusement device



OctQ Z, 1962 R. A. NELSON 3,056,220

NOVELTY AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed 001;. 11, 1961 2/ 1 I I I I 7 /7 49 27 I I /a k 26 INVENTOR. Rag/Mono A. NELSON United States atent 3,056,220 Patented Oct. 2, 1962 disc 3,056,220 NOVELTY AMUSEMENT DEVICE Raymond A. Nelson, Rte. 1, Box 123, Wauconda, Ill. Filed Oct. 11, 1961, Ser. No. 144,490 4 Claims. (Cl. 40-15) This invention relates to a novelty amusement device particularly adapted to be worn on the person of the user at conventions, meetings and the like, for the purpose of creating amusement and for advertising and sales promotional purposes.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel amusement device adapted to be worn on the person of the wearer at conventions, meetings and the like, for the purpose of creating amusement, and for advertising and sales promotional purposes.

Another object of the invention is to provide in the new novelty amusement device a novel construction and arrangement of a flag and a novel manually controlled means for normally latching the flag in a concealed position and for releasing the flag for movement into a raised visible position.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a novel amusement device adapted to be worn on the person of the user embodying a novel combination of elements including a supporting plate for supporting and concealing a flag pivotally mounted thereon, a novel arrangement of a manually controlled latching means for normally latching the flag in concealed position behind the supporting plate, and a novel means under the control of the latching means for raising the flag into a raised and visible position when the latching means is manually released.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawing which by way of illustration, shows a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the principles thereof and what I now consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applying these principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the new novelty amusement device with the flag in lowered and concealed position;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the flag in raised and visible position;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational View of the novelty amusement device shown in FIG. 1 showing the flag in lowered and concealed position;

FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view, partly in section, showing certain of the operating parts of the new novelty amusement device;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged top plan view showing certain of the operating parts of the new novelty amusement device; and

FIG. 6 is an end elevational View, as seen from the left hand end in FIG. 5.

A preferred embodiment of the new novelty amusement device is illustrated in the drawing, where it is generally indicated at 10, and includes a supporting plate 11 which is shown as being generally rectangular in form, but may be made in other shapes, and may be made of any suitable material, such as plastic resinous material, sheet aluminum or like metal stamping, or the like.

A generally channel-shaped supporting bracket 12 is mounted on the rear surface of the supporting plate 11 and includes a rear wall 13, a flanged bottom wall 14,

which is attached to the rear surface of the supporting plate 11 in any suitable manner, and a relatively narrow flanged top wall 15 which is likewise attached to the rear surface of the supporting plate 11 in any suitable manner; the top wall 15 being located between the ends of the body of the supporting bracket 12.

The new novelty amusement device includes a flag member 16 having a supporting arm portion 17 which is pivotally mounted on an inwardly extending tongue por. tion 18 of the rear wall 13 of the supporting bracket 12. The flag 16-17 is normally held in lowered and concealed position, as in FIGS. 1 and 5, by means of a resilient spring latching member 19 which is attached, as at 21, t0 the rear wall 13 of the supporting bracket 12, the resilient spring latching member 19 having an offset latching end portion 20 (FIGS. 5 and 6) which normally bears against the flag member 16.

The flag 16-17 is normally urged, against the action of the latching member 19-21, into a raised and visible position, as in FIG. 2, by means of a resilient actuating means 22 which may have the form of an elastic rubber band or cord, or the like, which has one end portion fastened to an inwardly extending hook-shaped arm 23 of the rear wall 13 of the supporting bracket 12, and has its other end portion attached to a notched portion 24 of the arm 17 of the flag 16.

A manually operable control button 25 is slidably mounted in an opening 26 formed in the supporting plate 11 and this button 25 has an enlarged flanged inner end portion 27 which retains it in the opening 26. As shown (FIGS. 4 and 6) the inner end portion of the button 25 is adapted to engage the resilient latching spring member 19.

A fastening element, in the form of a safety pin unit 28, is mounted on the rear wall 13 of the supporting bracket 12 to enable the device to be pinned to the clothing of the user.

In the use of the new novelty amusement device 10, the same may be attached to the coat lapel or other portion of the clothing of the user, by means of the safety pin fastening unit 28, and is normally worn with the flag 16-17 in lowered and concealed position, as in FIGS. 1, 5 and 6.

However, when it is desired to release the flag 16-17 for movement into visible and upright position, as in FIG. 2, this may readily be accomplished, by a person approaching the wearer or user from the front, by merely pressing inwardly on the control button 25, thereby urging the same slidably inwardly, in its opening 26 in the front supporting plate 11. This inward slidable movement of the control button 25 causes the latter to engage the resilient latching spring member 19-20 and urges the latter inwardly, from its normal position, as in full lines in FIG. 6 into dotted line position as in FIG. 6, thereby releasing the offset arm 20 of the latching spring member 19-20 from frictional engagement with the flag 16. The then tensioned resilient rubber cord member 22 will thereupon pivot the flag 16-17, at 13, into upright or raised and visible position, as in FIG. 2.

The flag 16-17 and the front face of the mounting or supporting plate 11 may bear any suitable humorous wording, such, for example, as the words Panic Button, or it may bear personal identification data, or advertising and sales promotional data, or the like.

The flag 16-17 may be returned to its normal concealed and lowered position behind the supporting plate 11, by merely pivoting the flag 16-17 downwardly on its pivot 18 so as to move it in position behind the latching spring 19-20, which is thereby forced slightly rear- Wardly. The action of the spring 19-20 on the flag 13 then urges the latter against the front mounting plate 11 and thus retains the flag 1617 in its normally concealed and lowered position, as in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5. During this operation the resilient cord member 22 is tensioned by reason of having an end portion thereof fixedly mounted, as at 23, and having its other end portion attached, as at 24, to the arm 17 of the flag 16.

It will thus be seen from the foregoing description, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, that the present invention provides a novel amusement device having the desirable advantages and characteristics, and accomplishing its intended objects, including those hereinbefore pointed out and others which are inherent in the invention.

I claim:

1. A novelty amusement device comprising a supporting plate, a supporting bracket attached to the said supporting plate at the rear of the latter, a flag member including an arm portion pivotally mounted on said supporting bracket, resilient actuating means mounted on said supporting bracket and having a portion attached to the said flag member and normally urging said flag member into raised and visible position above said supporting plate, resilient latching means carried by said supporting bracket and having a portion frictionally engageable With said flag member for holding the said flag member in lowered and concealed position behind said supporting plate against the action of said resilient actuating means, and manually operable control means movably mounted on the said supporting plate and having a portion engageable with the said resilient latching means for urging the latter out of frictional engagement with the said flag member to enable the said resilient actuating means to urge the said flag member into raised and visible position above the said supporting plate.

2. A novelty amusement device as defined in claim 1 in which the said resilient latching means is in the form of a spring member having an oifset portion frictionally engageable with the said flag member and having a portion anchored to said supporting bracket.

3. A novelty amusement device as defined in claim 1 in which the said resilient latching means is in the form of a spring member having an offset portion frictionally engageable With the said flag member and having a portion anchored to said supporting bracket, and in which said resilient actuating means is in the form of an elastic rubber cord having one end portion attached to the said flag member and having its outer end portion anchored to said supporting bracket.

4. A novelty amusement device as defined in claim 1 in which the said manually operable control means is in the form of a button slidably mounted in the said supporting plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,187,812 Burke June 20, 1916 2,521,198 Adler Sept. 5, 1950 2,809,834 Frampton Oct. 15, 1957 

